Stink, No More
by JMBangelgirl
Summary: *Holes* X-ray, Stanley, and Zero are desperate to get Armpit a present for his fifteenth birthday, but how far will they go to get it? Please R/R!*Complete*
1. Chap One, The Master Plan

Title: Stink, No More

Author: Justine Benoit

Disclaimer: All characters are from the book "Holes" and do not belong to me.

Rating: G

Summary: Stanley, Zero, and X-ray are desperate to get Armpit a present for his fifteenth birthday, but how far will they go to get it?

*Chapter One: The Master Plan*

"Happy birthday, Armpit!" the group of boys shouted. Armpit smiled as an extra serving of "slosh" was splashed on his plate. He licked his lips as the spoonful entered his mouth. The all of the boys sang "Happy Birthday" to him as he ate. Mr. Sir and Pendanski winced at the monotone that left the boy's lips. For a moment, Mr. Sir pondered cutting the racket, but seeing the Warden smiling at the commotion, he decided it best not to disrupt her entertainment. 

"Don't forget to make a wish, Armpit," X-ray told his friend, adjusting his glasses. 

"Yeah," Zigzag agreed. "If I were you, I'd wish to get out of here." A few of the boys nodded. Armpit shrugged. 

"Well, if I wished to get out of here, then I'd have to leave all you guys behind," he pointed out. 

That night, the boys treated Armpit like a king; fluffing his pillow, sneaking out to get extra water for him, and offering to dig his hole for him the next day. Armpit loved it. It was everything he could dream of, for after all, a boy in prison camp can't dream much, for almost any dream they wish for most likely won't come true. 

Even though X-ray and Stanley knew that Armpit was enjoying his fifteenth birthday greatly, they wanted to do something extra special for him. And as Armpit folded his arms behind his head, resting them on his pillow, a disgusting odor filled the tent and the two boys knew exactly what to get him.

As soon as all of the boys were asleep and Armpit was happily snoring, X-ray and Stanley crept out of the tent on their tiptoes and into the warm night. The stars were seen clearly, for no clouds ever drifted over the camp. They could vaguely see the Warden's cabin and the ground below them, so they were careful not to step in any holes. 

_Crunch._

Stanley and X-ray stood as still as possible when they heard a clatter behind them. 

"Don't worry, guys, it's just me," a familiar and young voice assured. Relieved, the two boys turned around to find the small figure of Zero standing in the moonlight. "Can I come with?"

"Sure," Stanley said, putting a hand on Zero's back. He then carefully told Zero their master plan. He was almost happy that they had a smaller boy to add to their team. Zero smiled and nodded. 

"Okay guys, since my sight fails me worst at night, I'll be watch guard. Caveman can take that way," X-ray pointed towards the side of the Warden's cabin. "And Zero, since you're small, you can take that way. Clear?" Stanley and Zero nodded. Quietly, they both crept to their destination, determination haunting their steps through the sand.

"Yo, Caveman!" Zero called, pointing to a light in the Warden's cabin. "Look!" he shouted in almost a whisper. Stanley froze when he saw the small room flashing with colors, signifying that the Warden was watching TV. 

"Hey, maybe she fell asleep with it on?" Stanley suggested, shrugging with a nervous twitch. 

"Well, I hope you're right, man," Zero said, crouching down, making sure he wasn't visible. 

Stanley slowly tiptoed to the back of the cabin, seeing the window. He bit his lip as he tried it and to his surprise, it wasn't locked! He gradually pushed on the glass. His body froze when it creaked. He suddenly lay flat on the ground and shut his brown eyes. Luckily, he couldn't hear any movement inside the cabin. Maybe he was right after all; maybe the Warden had fallen asleep. 

Sluggishly poking his head around the corner, X-ray gave him an "A OKAY" sign and Stanley let out a sigh of relief. 

In front of the cabin, Zero anxiously and carefully set his hand on the door knob, wondering if the Warden would hear him open it. Being in the room right next to the entering hall, it would be easy for her to awake at the sound of the door opening. But having the TV on—whether the Warden was asleep or awake—was an advantage. A big one.

Zero finally got the guts to turn it, and fortunate for him, it opened without a sound. Slowly, he put one foot in front of the other and prowled down the small hall, searching for the Warden. 

He let out sigh of relief when he saw and heard her snoring. Stanley had been right. She had fallen asleep. But what if she would wake up? What if she would catch him? He would be in such big trouble. But maybe his punishment would be digging extra holes—he wouldn't mind that.

X-ray stood as still as possible when he saw Zero's small, shadowy figure through the darkened room. He gulped when he realized that the room right next to Zero was where the Warden was—awake or asleep, he didn't know. 

_Thump._

X-ray looked down with his blurry vision to see a moving object moving below him. He held his breath, trying to figure out what it was. 

A scorpion? No, too small.

A rattle snake? No, too long.

A centipede or millipede? No, too sneaky. 

Just then, the object moved into the moonlight. All that X-ray could catch sight of was one yellow spot. Then it hit him.

A yellow-spotted lizard. 


	2. Chap Two, Trapped

Author's Note: Please notice that I'm taking Stanley's appearance from the book--not the movie.

*Chapter two: Trapped*

Stanley didn't quite know how his big figure was going to fit through the window, but he knew he'd have to manage somehow. For a moment, he thought that Zero should've come this way and Stanley should've entered through the door. 

He carefully pulled his body weight up and finally got his chest on the window ledge. Stanley guessed that the ledge was four and half feet tall by comparing his tall height to it. 

Finally he got his stomach on the ledge only to find that he couldn't fit. This would be a problem. Perhaps Zero was having better luck than he was. 

And yes, Zero was having better luck. He was creeping down the hallway, now assured that the Warden was sound asleep. Where was he going to find it? His first guess was the bathroom—but where was the bathroom?

There was a pink room that he guessed was the bathroom. One main reason: the smell.

Just as he was about to enter the small, bad smelling room, he heard the voices on TV cease. 

The Warden was awake!

X-ray panicked. Never before had he come against a yellow-spotted lizard. Of course he had heard about many prison boys like him being bitten, but he himself had never even seen one in his life. The only reason he knew the object below him was one was because of the spots. Pretty obvious. 

He felt like screaming out for help, but that would only get him in trouble. The Warden would hear him and come running out. Then what would happen to him? Would his few privileges be taken away for the rest of his existence at the camp? And with the situation in the way it was, X-ray guessed that his existence wouldn't be too much longer. 

Stanley grumbled as he thought of what good being overweight was doing for him at that moment. No good at all! Now what could he do? Suddenly, he could see the petite figure of the Warden in the dark, heading straight for the kitchen where he was stuck! 

The Warden flipped her red hair back and yawned, luckily not turning on the light. Instead she opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of milk—chocolate milk. Stanley licked his lips realizing how much he missed the taste of milk especially when it was chocolate milk. But this was no time to think of food. This was time to think of any way to escape this dilemma—it there even was a way. 

Stanley stayed as still as possible when the Warden came closer to the kitchen window, fortunate for him, she was half asleep. She almost threw the glass in the sink, not caring if it broke or shattered. She stretched and again yawned. It was then that Stanley realized that right below him, in the kitchen, was the sink. Now he was at an advantage. He could land on a higher setting and not have to worry about his heavy body making a noise when it touched the tiled floor. 

Zero quickly took in his surroundings. There was no place to hide. Then he looked in the bathroom. It was very small, but he might be able to fit in there somewhere. But it would be just his luck that the Warden come in to get ready for bed. 

Zero staggered in, suddenly noticing the shower. He jumped inside the tub and hid behind the curtain. 

And come in the Warden did. She sleepily stumbled in and opened the cabinet. She pulled out her tooth brush and washcloth. Zero held his breath tightly when he heard the sound of her brushing her teeth. 

Zero carefully reached over to grip the handle on the side of the wall to support his stand, but in his attempt, he knocked over the soap bar. He quickly shot out his leg and the soap landed flat on his knee. He silently gulped; hoping the Warden hadn't heard him. But just then, the soap tumbled off of his knee and hit the tub bottom with a "thud". 

The Warden delayed her brushing and stood still, her eyes wide open. She looked in the direction of the tub and narrowed her eyebrows in confusion. 

She spit out the toothpaste in the sink and set her toothbrush down. Zero knew that she was moving towards the curtain, and he expected her to pull it open any moment. What would he do?

X-ray remembered Mr. Sir saying that if you stay completely still and don't bother them, then they won't bother you. But that was the problem—he had bothered it! 

Reaching up and adjusting his glasses, X-ray wondered if he carefully moved his foot away if the lizard would strike. Perhaps, but perhaps not. Maybe the lizard was afraid of him and was also trying to escape, but not sure if he would hurt it. 

_That is dumb_, X thought. He shook his head, but was suddenly startled by a nearby gunshot. There was only one person on the premises with a gun. Had Mr. Sir discovered him?

Stanley was relieved when he hands feet landed safely on the counter below him. Finally he was in. He imagined that Zero had already retrieved it and was back safely in the tent, presenting it to Armpit. Suddenly a gunshot sounded, making him jump. He slowly set his feet on the tiled floor. What else could happen? What had Mr. Sir done now?

The Warden jumped at the gunshot and rolled her eyes. Her grip on the shower curtain cut loose and she stomped out of the bathroom. Zero could hear the door to the cabin bang shut and the clear southern tone of the Warden say: "Excuse me?"

Zero had to laugh to himself. Well, now he could find it and then Stanley who was probably in the building somewhere and get of there. 

Zero stepped out of the tub, first setting the soap back on the ledge where it had once been. He opened the mirror cabinet above the sink and searched. Finally his eyes came upon the rectangular object that he guessed was the right thing. He recognized it from long ago. His mother had had one. 

Slowly reaching up retrieve it, his fingers grasped it tightly. As soon as he made out the words on the front, he shut the cabinet and crept into the kitchen where he found a shaken up Stanley. 

"Come on, Caveman! We've got to scram!" Zero exclaimed, motioning behind him to the sound of the door swinging open and two voices arguing back and forth: "You can't just shoot up the whole camp grounds and wake up everyone!" "But if I don't…" "Excuse me?" "Well, you don't want all these boys to die from yellow…" "Excuse me?!" 

Stanley and Zero exchanged grins. They crawled up to the window, and with the many pushes of Zero, Stanley was outside and fell to the ground. Zero easily slid through and shut it behind him. 

Luckily, the gunshot had scared away the lizard and X-ray sighed. He then saw the shadowy figures of his friends emerge from behind the cabin. 

"Get it?" he asked in a shaky tone. 

"Yeah, man. What's up with you? You didn't get caught or nothing," Zero laughed in a whisper. 

"Well, it's a long story, but let's just get this to Armpit!" X-ray exclaimed. 

After sneaking in the shadows, the three boys finally made it back to their tent where they eagerly entered. 

"Yo! Armpit!" X-ray whispered. "We got a present for ya!" 

Armpit yawned and rubbed his eyes. 

"Hey, guys! Wake up! X-ray's got a present for me!" Armpit yelled. Soon enough all of the boys in the tent were grumbling from their wake up call. 

"Actually, it's from all three of us," Stanley said, pointing to X-ray and Zero. "You better say thank you 'cause we worked hard to get this, Armpit!"

"Well, X, what is it?" Armpit asked anxiously when he saw X-ray's hands behind his back. 

Suddenly X-ray threw a rectangular object through the air. Armpit reached up and caught it. He let out in a burst of laughter and the whole tent soon joined in.

"Lady's Sleek Deodorant," Armpit mumbled with a chuckle. "Thanks guys!"

The next morning, the Warden obstinately awoke. She managed to carry herself into the kitchen and flipped on the light. 

Yawning, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the sink. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, not believing what she saw in front of her. She set her gaze directly on the counter. 

She confusedly murmured: "Footprints?" 

*THE END*


End file.
